Encounters Archives - Aranthaes: City of Gold

Krastor Morley

On / Characters, City Policing, Major Characters

Krastor Morley is the Prefect of Lantear and a member of one of the wealthiest merchant families in Aranthaes. The Morleys possess vast commercial interests and sponsor the Zephyr Battalion of the Merchant Police, although Krastor would be quick to assure anyone who asked that his family connections have absolutely nothing to do with his position. Lantear sits astride the Great Aranthaen Highway, where merchants, caravans, travellers and goods from across the island converge. Krastor understands better than almost anyone that controlling a crossroads means controlling opportunity. Under his administration,

Ferghail Clampsey

On / Campaigns, Characters, City Policing, Major Characters, Merchant Police

Ferghail is captain of the Ironhearts Merchant Police Battalion in Lantear, an experienced soldier whose sense of duty is rooted as much in home as it is in uniform. He is dependable, practical and quietly proud of the life his service allows him to provide for his family. He is devoted to his wife and their two young sons, speaking of them often enough that even soldiers who have never met them know something of their habits, mischief and ambitions. Ferghail carries himself like a man with somewhere important to

Ghavus Straett

On / Characters, City Policing, Major Characters, Merchant Police

Ghavus is the senior military commander responsible for Rochpont, Geldfray Keep and much of the rugged country surrounding the Geldfray Mountains. Although his rank could comfortably keep him behind stone walls and a desk piled with reports, he has never developed much talent for remaining indoors when there is work to be done elsewhere. He looks considerably older than he is. Years spent in the cold winds around the keep, riding mountain roads and accompanying patrols through rain, snow and hard winters have weathered his face far more thoroughly than

Lord Kanzar

On / Characters, City Visitors, Major Characters

Lord Kanzar is an elven mage from the great northern continent, travelling as part of Fayett’s escort. He is polished, educated and impeccably self-possessed, with the easy confidence of a man who has spent most of his life being told that he is exceptional – and has never found much reason to disagree. He can be charming when it suits him. Kanzar is skilled at reading people, discovering what they want and presenting himself accordingly, whether that means cultured nobleman, useful ally, sympathetic confidant or dangerous man best left unchallenged.

Eliran

On / Characters, City Visitors, Major Characters

Eliran is a dark-haired elven mage from the great northern continent, travelling as part of Fayett’s close escort. Where her travelling companion Kanzar carries the unmistakable presence of a weapon waiting to be unleashed, Eliran is quieter and more watchful, rarely drawing attention to herself unless circumstances demand it. She has the contained stillness of someone accustomed to danger. Her eyes are almost always moving — doors, windows, rooftops, unfamiliar hands — and she has a habit of placing herself where she can reach Fayett quickly without appearing obviously protective.

Fayett Trallias

On / Characters, City Visitors, Major Characters

Fayett is a seasoned warrior from the great northern continent, a woman whose bearing suggests privilege, command and an upbringing far removed from the ordinary soldier’s life. Even dressed for the road and carrying the fatigue of too many campaigns, there is something unmistakably regal about her: the way she speaks, the way others defer to her, and the quiet certainty with which she expects to be obeyed. She is visibly weary of war. Not frightened by it, and certainly not diminished by it, but tired of the endless cycle

Meldwin

On / Characters, City Policing, Major Characters, Merchant Police

Meldwin is one of the senior handlers of Swallows and Ravens employed by the Zephyr Battalion, overseeing a web of informants, social operatives and quiet observers whose reports eventually find their way across his desk. He is an unlikely figure to wield such influence: painfully thin, physically weak and possessed of an awkward manner that can make even ordinary conversation feel faintly uncomfortable. He was abandoned shortly after birth and discovered close to death by a travelling cleric, who carried him back to Aranthaes and placed him in the care

Ossani

On / Characters, City Visitors

Ossani is a clan chief from the southern lands, visiting Aranthaes as an honoured guest at a wedding intended to strengthen ties between families and help bring long-divided clans closer together. She carries herself with the confidence of someone accustomed to responsibility, but without the stiffness or ceremony of a courtly noble. She is a seasoned fighter, though she no longer measures strength simply by who can win a duel. Years of leadership have taught her that patience, judgement and knowing when not to draw a weapon can matter far

Dorven Drak

On / Characters, Major Characters, Merchants

Dorven Drak is a lesser member of the wealthy and influential Drak family, though “lesser” is a relative term. Within Aranthaes he may stand several steps from the true centre of family power, but by island and off-island standards he remains a man of considerable wealth, name, and opportunity. He is a second cousin of Damaia and Devtaria Drak, and a more distant kinsman of their father, the legendary Damakos Drak. Dorven carries the Drak name with obvious pride, but also with the quiet awareness that he is not one

Seressa Surnath

On / Characters, City Visitors, Major Characters

Seressa Surnath is the only child of Lady Vaelora Surnath, raised within a respected tiefling house beyond the island of Aranthaes. Young, striking, and carefully trained, she carries the outward polish of high birth, but beneath her composure is a restless curiosity and a desire to choose more of her own future than tradition may allow. Unlike her mother, Seressa has not yet mastered stillness. She tries to carry herself with Vaelora’s severity, but feeling often shows through: interest, frustration, admiration, irritation, and courage all appear in her face before

Lady Vaelora Surnath

On / Characters, City Visitors, Major Characters

Lady Vaelora Surnath is the matriarch of a respected tiefling house from far beyond Aranthaes. Refined, severe, and quietly formidable, she carries herself with the composed authority of someone accustomed to courts, councils, and dangerous negotiations. Though not native to the island and it’s strict hierarchy, Vaelora’s status is immediately apparent. She dresses with restrained elegance, favouring house-coloured ceremonial garments, silver detailing, and a white cloak over finely worked armour. To strangers, she appears aristocratic and dignified. To those who know how to read such things, she is also unmistakably

Kosrakir, Protector of Aranthaes

On / Characters, City Guard, City Policing, Major Characters

As second in command of the City Guard, Field Commander Kosrakir, Protector of Aranthaes, is responsible for security of the island itself – its approaches, its villages, and the long, vulnerable stretches between safety and wilderness. A tiefling, Kosrakir bears his heritage openly but without the ornament that’s fashionable in the city. His horns are scarred, his battle-tarnished plate armour functional rather than ceremonial. Those who serve under him know him as direct, uncompromising, and relentlessly fair. He does not tolerate disorder, but neither does he rule through fear. Orders

Thaelema Arkannis

On / Characters, Defenders of the Mother, Major Characters, Mother's Children

Thaelema’s faith has never been loud. She does not preach in the streets or preside over ceremonies, and few outside the poorest districts of Aranthaes would recognise her by name. Yet to many, she is the most tangible expression of the Mother’s mercy – the one who ensures that hunger is answered with food, and despair with warmth. Originally trained as a cleric, Thaelema chose an unusual path within the Church. After years of service tending the sick and distributing alms, she set aside most formal duties and retrained as

Vyvaen Weller

On / Characters, Defenders of the Mother, Major Characters, Mother's Children

Vyvaen speaks rarely, and always with purpose. Vigilance and discipline define her authority. Her faith is expressed through action and certainty — the understanding that some things must be defended, without hesitation or excuse. As Mother Superior – Warden of the Sanctum, Vyvaen bears responsibility for the physical protection of the Church’s most sacred spaces and figures. Temples, reliquaries, processions, and the Holy Mother herself fall under her charge. She organises the Temple Security Unit with military precision, yet her authority is grounded not in fear but in trust. Those

Ermile Valenor

On / Characters, Defenders of the Mother, Major Characters, Mother's Children

As Mother Overseer, Ermile has become indispensable through constancy. She is the fixed point around which the Church’s daily function turns. Where others speak for the faith, Ermile ensures that it continues smoothly — attending to details, maintaining traditions, and making decisions that keep the Church of the Mother steady and coherent. She has served the Defenders for many years as a quiet organising force. As second in command to Rilith Jol’gonas, Ermile oversees rites, manages correspondence between temples, and ensures that the practical workings of the faith function without

Elowen Mareth

On / Characters, Defenders of the Mother, Major Characters, Mother's Children

Among the merchant princes, temple financiers, private bankers, and contract-brokers of Aranthaes, few names carry the quiet weight of ‘The Lady Elowen.’ Elegant, poised, and almost impossible to unsettle, Elowen moves easily between the Church of the Mother and the wealthiest mercantile houses of the city. She is called upon when matters of money, inheritance, sacred debt, political risk, or private security become too sensitive for ordinary negotiators – and too dangerous for ordinary guards. Elowen is often assigned to escort visiting dignitaries, emissaries, financiers, treaty-brokers, and honoured guests through

Vavyin Galpris

On / Characters, City Policing, Major Characters, Merchant Police

Vavyin Galpris is the head of the Crescent Moon Battalion, Aranthaes’ elite Merchant Police force. She is a master of stealth and subterfuge, trained in the art of assassination and skilled in both melee and ranged combat. Vavyin has dedicated her life to protecting her merchant paymasters from threats both within and outside the city. Vavyin grew up on the streets of Aranthaes Wynds, learning to fend for herself at a young age. She fell in with a group of thieves and began honing her skills in stealth and pickpocketing.

Raistum Magus

On / Characters, City Policing, Major Characters, Merchant Police

Raistum Magus is Head of the Zephyr Battalion – Aranthaes Merchant Police. He was born in Aranthaes City, son of a wealthy merchant, and grew up with a love for magic. He spent most of his early life studying and practicing the arcane arts, eventually becoming a powerful wizard. He was recruited by the Aranthaes Merchant Police in his 60’s and became the head of the Zephyr Battalion 2 years later. Cold and calculating, Raistum has earned a reputation as the Morley family’s arcane watchdog. He personally directs investigations into

Orlonas Dasir

On / Characters, City Policing, Defenders of the Mother, Major Characters, Mother's Children

Orlonas Dasir is precise in everything she does. She speaks carefully, moves deliberately, and rarely reveals more than is necessary. Where others within the Church command through presence or strength, Orlonas operates through insight – watching, listening, and waiting until she understands exactly where pressure must be applied. Hand-picked by Rilith Jol’gonas to be Mother Superior – Prefect of Doctrine, Orlonas is entrusted with tasks that cannot be addressed openly. She investigates heresy, subversion, and threats to the Church that hide behind legality, respectability, or false piety. Her work is

Taygor Saraius

On / Characters, City Policing, Major Characters, Merchant Police

Taygor was born and raised in the forests surrounding Aranthaes, and has always had a strong connection to nature. He became a druid at a young age and dedicated his life to protecting the forests surrounding Aranthaes and the wildlife inside and out of the great city from harm. When he was asked to lead the Merchant Volunteers Battalion, he saw it as an opportunity to protect the city and its people from within. Taygor has a weathered, rugged appearance, with a wild mane of gray hair and a thick